Still

Excerpt from Pauses for Lent

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

We often place magnets proclaiming this verse in Psalms on our fridges. But there is a huge difference between sticking this verse on the fridge and living it out. Finding stillness and silence in a world conditioned to noise, busyness, and words is not easy. Little wonder we often lack personal and intimate knowledge of the Eternal One.

The psalmist emphasizes that we need to be still to know God. Perhaps this is why our souls yearn for stillness. In their restlessness they long for that silent communion with God for which they were created. Aware of this, Desmond Tutu writes, ​“Each one of us wants and needs to give ourselves space for quiet.” It is in stillness we come to know what our hearts long for: the Divine Presence alive in us. In this way, we can see the importance of fostering a life of outer and inner stillness.

Daily Practice

We can experiment with stillness and silence by purposefully not listening to our car radios or music as we drive or ride the bus or subway. These modes of transport will become mobile places of stillness where we can enter the quietness with God in the midst of the daily rush. Remind yourself that God meets you in silence.